SHAH ALAM, 27 April 2009: “God is Great,” said former Selangor executive councillor Datuk Saidin Thamby after the High Court here today set aside his 2002 conviction and sentence for graft.

“I feel relieved; after waiting for a long time finally my name is now clean,” he said, wiping away tears outside the courtroom.

Saidin, 72, formerly Paya Jaras representative in the Selangor state legislative assembly, was charged with taking a RM1 million reward on 15 March 1997 from Nusantara Network Sdn Bhd chairperson Datuk Dr Hanifah Nordin for helping the company obtain a government land in Batu Caves town for development.

The state government approved Nusantara Network’s application on 4 Oct 1995.

On 1 Aug 2002, Sessions Court Judge Suraya Othman sentenced Saidin to a year in jail and RM10,000 fine and also ordered him to pay a RM1 million penalty to the federal government after finding him guilty.

She, nevertheless, granted him a stay of all the orders pending appeal to the High Court. Saidin was also granted RM150,000 bail.

Today, Justice Datuk Su Geok Yiam allowed his appeal against conviction and sentence and also dismissed the prosecution’s cross-appeal against the one-year jail term.